Violence against Women in Afghanistan

As shown in this report the recorded statistics on violence against women during the first six months of the current year has reached a shocking number of 4154 cases.

This figure indicates an increase of nearly 25 percent compared to the number of violence against women recorded in the first six months of the previous year. However, this increase could be due to increased public confidence in the AIHRC’s offices, but can be caused by other factors such as increased violence against women and the public's distrust of judicial authorities as well.

In any way, this high figure of violence against women in the first half of this year is very shocking and a matter to be pondered upon. Especially when we see that over 30% of the figures are physical violence, especially beating, slapping, kicking and throwing stones, the issue becomes more and more worrying because physical violence against women is the naked (harsh) form of violence against women.

Also, 6.3 percent of all cases of violence against women have been sexual violence, and 81 cases out of 262 cases have been recorded as rape cases. These figures show that violence against women in the country is at its shocking state.

The even more shocking issue in this report is that the highest rate of violence, 94.3% of all cases of violence against women, has taken place by the family members of the woman. The results of this report show that the husbands of the women are the most violent person against the women. This means that women in the family lose their safety against violence.

The result of this report implies that the responsible organs must pay serious attention to the issue and fighting against it requires precise plans and programs of fighting violence against women.

Therefore, the government of Afghanistan should take practical and effective measures to improve the situation of women’s rights in the country based on its 29

legal obligations stipulated in international human rights documents as well as in the domestic laws. The AIHRC given the existing problems in the area of women's rights, presents the following recommendations for the improvement of the living situation of women in Afghanistan.